Cafe_Baby28

 I was surfing the net, trying to do research for my topic article for Feature Writing, when I chanced upon this certain website. This website lists all the names of the children died from bullycide.

    What is bullycide? It’s a new term coined to describe a person’s death because of bullying. Whether it was suicide, an accident or a murder, if it was connected with bullying then it is called bullycide.

    It’s disheartening and saddening to see so many names of children listed in this website. And I really mean children because most of them were between the ages of 10-15. In fact, the youngest recorded bullycide is Marie Bentham of Britain, who died at the tender age of 8. She committed suicide by hanging herself with her skipping rope, all because she couldn’t face her bullies in school.

    Most of the children listed died by their own hands, just to escape their tormentors. They used different means to kill themselves. They jumped off bridges, they hanged themselves using various objects, they even use a gun. Can you imagine, a 12-year-old boy putting a gun next his head and pulling the trigger? I can’t. And yet, it happened, is probably happening right now, and will probably happen in the near future.

     Who are these monsters who drove these children to think that death is their only escape? These monsters can be anyone. They can be you, me, or even an innocent 9-year-old kid. They are the bullies.

  I have not been spared from bullying. I know the pain these children have gone through. Bullying can be damaging and dangerous. It can damage your dignity and self-esteem. It can squash you ego like a little bug. It can even kill you.

   Please pray for all the souls of these children. May they rest in peace and may  we learn from them so that no one would ever decide to do what they though they had to do to escape from the bullies.

URL: Bullycide

   Hello! I’m back again. Ok, it’s been a year since my first post so i decided to update my blog. I keep on forgetting that I actually have a blog here that I never update so please forgive me.. =(

    Ever heard of the prayer of St. Joseph of Cupertino?  St Jospeh of Cupertino is supposedly a guy who wanted to be a Jesuit or be part of an order. Unfortunately, he is lacking in the brains department so during the entrance exam, he prayed fervently that he may only be asked the questions that he can answer. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what happened. The  questions in the entrance exams were the only questions St. Joseph can answer! So my mother told me that whenever I’m taking an exam, I must pray that I be granted the same privilege God has granted St. Joseph, that I may be asked only the questions I can actually answer.

    During my three years here in Ateneo, I have already taken three oral exams: one for Theo, one for Sci 10, and one for Philo (recently taken yesterday). These three oral exams have one thing in common: you have to pick a card at random and the number of the card would correspond to the number of the thesis statement/ topic you’re going to explain.

    Before every oral exam, I would sit quietly in one corner with my hands clasped together, head bowed and eyes closed. No, I wasn’t hyperventilating; I was praying to St. Joseph of Cupertino, that I would be able to pick the thesis statement I could actually explain.

    You know what? The prayer actually works! During those three oral exams, I was able to pick out the best card:

• Theo Orals: I picked card number 7 for thesis number 7 (The Passion Predictions of Jesus). It was the only thesis statement I can explain because it was our group report.
• Sci 10 Orals: I picked the king, which allows us to pick any topic I wanted.
• Philo Orals: I picked the ace for thesis number 1 (all about the insight). It was the only reading I can understand so you can understand the relief I felt when I saw the card.

  You may think it’s luck, but I think otherwise. I believe that God provides help to those who are in need. After all, that’s what miracles are for. 

    Well, my first blog ever. I’m not really into blogging but what the heck? Let’s just try it.
   
    I went back to Tita Doc’s clinic in Kostka today, remininscing about the glorious high school days. It’s been two years since I graduated and yet, I still miss everything about it. Who doesn’t? High school was supposedly the best time of our lives. Endless laughter, gimmicks, crushes, and even the easy A’s in class. I went to the choir room last Monday and hearing the choir sing (Ok, I admit it. They are BETTER than us.) brings back memories of Johanna, Rachel, and the rest of the choir members including me, just singing our hearts out. And who could ever forget the endless practices for the cheering competiton, family day, and of course, graduation? Even though it was tiring, we always had fun.
 
    On my way home, I passed by the place where my favorite hang-out, Maison, used to stand. In its place was a new restaurant called Miko’s Wine and Grill, or something like that. As I stared at its sign, I was instantly flooded by memories of again, high school life. As soon as school was over, we would hurry to Maison, excited to finally escape from our school’s stuffy rules. It was our sanctuary, where we could let go of all our troubles and just party. It was the place where we would break every rule in our student handbook: no smoking, no drinking, no doing drugs (just kidding on the last part =D)  Everyday, I would hear my batchmates say, "Tara, Maison tayo." How I wish I could say those words again.
   
    We’re going to do our report on Aliguyon on Friday and frankly, I am really worried about it. I am supposed to do a report on how the character’s personality relates to the context of utopia. I couldn’t understand what I’m supposed to do! How could I relate the personality to utopia? I don’t even know what utopia is!
   
    Ever since I started studying in Ateneo, I always feel inferior, in terms of general knowledge. I feel that I am lacking in intelligence, that I don’t know certain subjects, subjects in which my blockmates excel in. One time, my teacher asked whether we studied accounting and all my blockmates said that they studied accounting in high school! Me? I couldn’t even remember anything to do with math! All I could remember where practices, practices, and more practices. Of course my quiz scores adds more insult to my injury. I failed all of my quizzes. O fcourse, one quiz was justified since almost all of us failed that particular quiz. I mean, who knew what Jesus’ inagural speech was? I didn’t even know that He has an inagural speech!
   
    Oftentimes, I wished that I was back in high school because I was one of the "smart" people. I never had to worry about failing a quiz or reporting. It was all a piece of cake. Let’s just say that I was walking in clouds during high shool. College life however, pulled me back into the earth. Now I know how difficult it is, to study every day, to do assignments, and not to cheat on quizzes and tests.